This blog post is part of a summer series, focusing on how to prepare and cook produce from a crop share. As a first time Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) member, Danielle Calkins, assistant editor-digital for the Home & Garden team, will be testing out fresh recipes bi-weekly as she picks up her crops. You can read about her recipes below, and more about the crops she’ll cook with on the Birds & Blooms blog.
Normally when I’m graced with a lovely lump of fresh spinach, I can hardly resist shredding it apart for a healthy salad. However with the first bunch of spinach I got from my CSA, I decided to make homemade meatballs.
Although it’s June, the weather this past week couldn’t be more deceiving. I was finally forced to shut all the windows in my house, after getting tired of walking around with the chills. So, what better to do on a chilly June night then to make a lovely plate of spaghetti and meatballs? I adapted my recipe from these Spinach Turkey Meatballs from Taste of Home.
For starters, I made sure to thoroughly wash my spinach. Oftentimes when produce comes from a CSA program, there can be dirt and other particles between the leaves. Once washed, I chopped the lettuce to my desired size. The original recipe called for frozen spinach, but fresh seemed so much more appealing!
In a mixing bowl I combined the spinach, 1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs, chopped onion, seasoned salt, and a splash of milk (only because I forgot to buy eggs at the store.)
Next I added 1 lb. of ground chicken. I figured if the recipe calls for turkey, chicken would work as well. After adding a few pinches of red pepper flakes to satisfy my spicy-tooth, I began to form the meatballs.
Bake the meatballs, uncovered, at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, depending on size. Mine turned out larger than expected and cooked for about 26 minutes before coming out crispy, moist and golden brown.
Instead of chowing down on the meatballs by themselves, I cooked up some whole wheat pasta and sauce. Since there was already a decent amount of spinach in the dish, I decided a slice of fresh bread would complete the meal.
What fresh veggies do you like to experiment with?
Keep an eye out for more blog posts on my CSA adventure. I can’t wait to try a new veggie next week! For more info on my crop share experience and the healthy benefits of spinach, visit the Birds & Blooms blog.
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Looks yummy and healthy!
This is my 2nd year of enjoying my CSA share. It’s Christmas every Tuesday.
@Georgie,
I’ll be a longtime CSA member, I’m sure of it. Now I’m just wondering if I should take part in the winter CSA too–I figure why not!
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